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© St. Petersburg Times, published January 15, 2003
When Julie Shott arrived at Citrus as a ninth-grader, she was looking for a sport. Any sport.
Her mother helped find one.
"My mom talked to one of the football coaches," Shott said. "He mentioned that his daughter did weightlifting and said I should try it. I said I would. I didn't have anything else to do."
Today, the senior is among the state's top lifters.
Shott placed first at 119 pounds in last week's county meet, her fourth county title. Today at Hernando, she goes for her second Gulf Coast Athletic Conference championship. Not bad for a girl who weighed all of 98 pounds when she joined the team in 1999.
"I didn't have any muscle or anything," Shott said. "I was scrawny."
The 5-foot-31/2 Shott finished 13th at state in the 101-pound class as a freshman and fifth in the same division the following year. She jumped to 119 pounds last season, and was 10th at state.
Shott can bench press 125 pounds and clean 140. She hopes to improve those totals before her prep career ends. Her most difficult task this season: making weight.
"Last year, I was 113 pounds, so I didn't have to worry about it," Shott said. "Last Saturday, I was 123 when we left that morning for a meet. When we got there, I had to run and spit and all that stuff. I made it.
"I've run at every meet this year. It's been tough to keep my weight down. I don't eat healthy, that's probably why. A lot of girls can't (make weight). So far, I've never let my coach down."
Shott, who plans to attend Florida State this fall, also has earned letters in cross country and track, but weightlifting is her favorite activity.
"It relieves more tension," she said. "After a bad day, it's a great stress reliever. You just feel good after you work out. It works your muscles, and you feel better about yourself."
THINKING BIG: After a surprising second-place finish in the county meet, Crystal River hopes for another strong showing at conference.
The Pirates have beaten every GCAC team except Citrus this season. The Hurricanes are considered the squad to beat.
"It's a battle for second, but hopefully some of our girls can take first in their classes," Crystal River coach Sean Cassese said. "Citrus is really strong. If we could push (the 'Canes) a little, it would be a great accomplishment for us."
Breanna Driver (unlimited) was the Pirates' only county winner.
"I'm not sure what to expect," Cassese said. "You can only have 15 lifters at conference, so the key is to pick the right weight classes to put them in. That's on me. Hopefully, I'll put them in the right ones. I expect us to do well."
RISING STAR: On a strong Lecanto team, ninth-grader Melissa Chitwood (unlimited) has been the most pleasant surprise. She placed second in the county, and has a season-best total of 270 pounds.
"She's coming on," Panthers coach Dick Slack said. "She really works hard in practice, and she's learning the techniques. She's going to be a good one for a long time. She'll do nothing but get better."
Lecanto lifters Tiffany Boyd (199) and Ashley Stewart (119) also were second in the county meet. Boyd has an impressive career-best total of 310 pounds.